Water-bag.



No. 684,7l. Patented Unt; I5, |90l.

' C. W. MEINECKE.

WATER BAG.

(Application led Feb. 5, 1901.)

(No Model.)

limiten @rares Fairnnir rrrcn.

CHRISTIAN WVM. MEINEOKE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEIN JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO MEINEOKE t OO., OF NEV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WATERNBG.

SPEGFIATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,701, dated October 15, 1901. Application led February 5, 1901. Serial Nc.46,109. (N IDOdeL) To if/ZZ whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN WM. MEIN- ECKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in VVater-Bagaof which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in Water-bags, and has for its object to provide such a bag in which the water will be equally distributed, whereby the bag may be completely supplied with water without causing it to bulge or become unduly distended at the middle or center, and whereby the bag when filled with water has substantially flat sides, presenting the greatest possible surface of the bag against the body of the user.

Heretofore water-bags have been constructed of a rubber body, provided with a filling orifice, but with no connection between the sides of the bag. The prior bags have been found objectionable in use in that when they are filled to the limit of their capacity the sides of the bag bulge out or become unduly distended, resulting in the sides thereof becoming convex, so that when applied to the body of the user in this condition such bags have a very limited surface-contact with the body, which detracts largely from their efficiency and, furthermore, a quantity of water necessary to entirely iill out the bag is of such weight as to be a serious discomfort to one in a wealr physical condition.

If to avoid either of the objections just mentioned the prior bags be only partially filled with water,-they would be open to an equally serious objection in that when applied to a patient, and particularly if applied in a slanting position or a position in which one end of the bag is lower than the other, or if they assume such position during use, the water runs to the lowest part of the bag, leaving the higher portion thereof unsupplied or insufficiently supplied with water, detracting materially from the utility of the bag.

The objections mentioned are overcome and the full benefit of a water-bag secured,`accordin g to my inventiomby providing a means whereby the bag may be entirely filled with water, the latter substantially equally distributed throughout the entire area of the bag when in use, and the sides of the bag caused to present substantially fiat surfaces, whereby that side which is applied to the person has contact with the body throughout all or substantially all of its area, and full efficacy of the application is secured.

To the ends stated, my invention consists in a water-bag constructed as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which-M Figure l is a plan with the stay or connecting device shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2, a view partly in longitudinal section; Fig. 3, detail perspective views of preferred forms of stay or connecting device with which the water-bag is provided. Fig. e is a view of the water-bag exhausted of water, with its sides in contact and the stay collapsed.

In the said drawings,the reference-numeral l indicates my improved water-bag, which may be of any preferred or desired coniiguration and provided with a suitable water supply and exhaust opening 2, and means, in the present instance consisting of a perforated ear 3 at the bottom of the bag and a strap 4L at the top, adapted for connection with an attaching device for securing the bag to the body ofthe user and also serving asa handle. Within the bag and located centrally thereof is a stay or connecting device 5, whichin the form illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings consists of two strips of rubber or other suitable material, cemented or otherwise connected back to back to form a stem 5, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, having free flaps 5b, which are bent at right angles tothe stem portion of the stay to form attachingflapsa These iiaps are cemented or otherwise suitably secured to the sides of the water-bag, as shown more clearly in Fig, 2 of the drawings, the stem of the stay or connecting device spanning the distance between said sides and limiting the degree to which they may be separated the one from the other when water is introduced into the bag. in this way the sides of the water-bag are prevented from being distended or bulged out at the center or from forming a radically-convexed water-bag having the objections heretofore notedi The stay or connecting device 5 limits the maximum distance apart of the IOO sides of the Water-bag when in use and provides a Water-bag the sides of which are substantially fiat and afford a surface-contact with the body of the user throughout substantially the entire area of the water-bag- As shown, the stay or connecting device is arranged transversely of the water-bag, terminating, however, a suitable distance from the side edges thereof and leaving waterpassages 6 past the ends of the stay or connecting device, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, through which passages the water introduced into the bag passes to all parts thereof.

A bag constructed according to my invention,in which the sides are connected together by a stay or device arranged interiorly and substantially central to the water-bag, is found to have materially-increased efficacy in that it may be completely filled with water and when applied to the person of the user have surface-contact throughout substantially its entire area with the body of the user, so that the beneficial effects of the application are increased and the possibility of a contact only along a longitudinal surface of greater or less width is avoided. When exhausted of water, the stay or connecting device is readily collapsed, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and the sides of the waterbag made to lie in contact.

If desired, a modified form of stay or connecting device, such as denoted by the numeral 7, may be employed, and other forms of such a device adopted without departing from my invention.

By my invention l provide a water-bag in which the water is evenly distributed and when entirely filled with water is not uncomfortably heavy and the sides of which are substantially flat, whereby it affords contact with the body throughout substantially its entire area. l Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The herein-described Waterbag provided with an interior IieXible and collapsible stay located centrally of the bag both with respect to the transverse and longitudinal extent thereof and spanning the space between the sides of the same, secured to such sides and having passages at the ends of the stay, said stay having its free ends bent at right angles to form attaching-flaps which are connected to the sides of the bag and said stay not interfering with the free motion of the water in the bag, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. A water-bag provided with an interior iiexible and collapsible stay located centrally of the bag and spanning the space between the sides thereof, secured to such sides and having passages at the ends of the stay, said stay consisting of two pieces of iexible material connected together back to back and having their free ends bent over and outward at right angles to form attaching-flaps which are connected to the sides of the bag, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my handl in presence of two subscribing witnesses. y

CHRISTIAN WM. MENECKE.

Vitnesses:

WM. J.JUNGL1NG, WM. D. SToLDT. 

